Assassin's Creed: Leagues
by Longshot12ify
Summary: Ezio is done with killing. His squad is passed down to his sucssessor, Francesco. But can Francesco handle this power of authority while he must also investigate the Templar happenings in Rome?


Assassin's Creed: Leagues

Chapter One

Ezio stood in front of his squad, which considered of six people: Merope, Francesco, Orichi, Thod, and the mysterious masked assassin, Narlequim (including himself).

"You are all assassins," Ezio said, "You have been trained by the best. You will fight like the best, you will kill like the best, and you will be the best. I, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, am too old to kill. I am done with it. Francesco, you are now the leader of this squad. Remember, nothing is true, everything is permitted." And with that, Ezio turned his head away.

"But master," Francesco replied. However, Ezio interrupted him.

"As I said before, Francesco, I am done with killing! You are young, stronger, and faster than I am," he walked Francesco over to a small hallway away from the other assassins, "and I know you are the bravest of them all. Merope: I picked her up from the streets, she was crying after she killed a man. Orichi: He was a maniac doctor who found enjoyment in suffer. Thod: He was just a butcher, with a committed of a crime he did not commit. Narlequim: a cold blood killer, who you could not see even the slightest bit of sorrow in killing. He wears a mask to hide his face from shame. However, you, Francesco, you have a strong heart, you have no fear, no cruelty, no greed for power, glory, or fame. In addition, Machiavelli and I have found something very interesting going on in Rome. I want you to check it out. You are the best of my squad, you are what makes an assassin. "

Francesco eyes started to water and turned his head away from his old master, "I will do what you wish…Ezio…" Francesco said with some nervousness and sadness.

Ezio smiled. "No, Francesco. As _you_ wish." And Ezio turned away from him and walked down the hall shooting back one last smile at him and drifting into the darkness of the assassin base.

Francesco walked back to the room. Narlequim was sitting on the balcony rail watching as Francesco came in. Orichi was sampling poisons on rats he had found. Thod was tapping his hand on the flat of his knife. Merope was looking sorrowfully at Francesco. "What did he tell you?" she asked him.

Francesco looked at her, "We leave for Rome. On my orders."

Francesco slept unsoundly that night while in his bed. He kept hearing the last words of his former master, _as you wish_. They shook him as would he would during the winter. He was the leader. He couldn't lead them into battle like this. He always looked to Ezio for advice when something went wrong. Now it was his turn to lead, his turn to come up with solutions, his turn to survive.

He heard a knock on the door. "It's me." Came Merope's voice.

"I'm not decent said Francesco, trying as fast as he could to pull on his clothes.

After a few seconds he opened the door and let Merope, who was wearing her assassin robes, which where a rather revealing (for distraction), in.

"I was worried about you." She said embracing him in a hug.

He did not at all expect it.

"You need not be," Francesco replied, "I know how to take care of myself. Remember, Ezio taught me."

Merope stifled a cry.

"I know, but…" she said, "it…just…happened so fast. I never would have expected it to happen like this."

"How did you expect it?" Francesco questioned.

"I just pictured it as him getting old enough to the point where he couldn't even lift his sword." She answered.

"I pictured it different." He replied.

"How so?" she asked leaning in closer to him.

Francesco was tongue-tied. He did not know what to say, what to do, he didn't have a clue if he should do anything. Just then, a scream rang out through the assassin base.

Francesco ran to the window and looked outside. He could see Thod, fending off soldiers, having a horrible time of it. Then, Orichi jumped down from a window above, planted his needle in a soldier's neck, and drew a dagger. He looked around for the source of the scream and found it. A dead woman sprawled on the ground, and a girl screaming out for her father.

"Oh my god…" whispered Merope.

She turned to look for Francesco and found him pulling on his assassin robes. It had on a white hood and a large belt with the assassin symbol. He pulled open a drawer and took out an assortment of weapons. Ten throwing knives, two daggers, two hidden blades (which he strapped onto his wrists). He also had new weapons, ones that Machiavelli and Ezio had made. Hidden boot blades: blades shot out of the bottom of the heel. The claws: This had three blades in between the knuckles that would shoot out of the mechanism strapped to the upper part of his forearm.

"Francesco," Merope said. It looked as though she could not get the words out, "I'll go with you."

However, Francesco could not wait. He slid on his boot and jumped out the window into a haystack. The men of the city yelped out in distress. "Templars! Templars in the city!"

Francesco ran to Orichi and Thod, he drew his sword and slashed at the chest of a Templar.

"Where is Narlequim?" Francesco asked.

"He is in the _villa,_ the coward." Thod answered.

Francesco nodded and ducked just as an axe came swirling towards his head. He looked at Thod, but he still had his axe. He ran up the wall of a building and jumped onto the top. Another axe came swirling towards his head and saw a man, armed with several assortments of weapons himself. He had axes, swords, and daggers. He was a man Francesco and Ezio had fought before. Bartiti Vielli master swordsman.

"Where now is you master Francesco? Has he put up his cloak and hung up his boots?"

Francesco threw a throwing knife at Vielle, who dodged and three one in return.

It planted it's self in Francesco's left arm, he let out a yelp of agony, but he had a plan.

Francesco released his hidden blades and jumped from the building he was on, and sunk his blood-thirsty blade into Vielli's heart.

A gasp of surprise erupted from Vielli as he looked at his breast, Francesco's blade protruding from it.

"I never thought it could possibly end this way, a young man killing me! I am the master swordsman. I am Vielli!"

Francesco grinned, "May your soul find a better path than you did._ Resquiescat in pace_."

And with that he closed Vielli's eyes for him, for his heart had stopped.

He looked around and saw the battle had stopped. Orichi and Thod were standing over him.

"That looks quite nasty there," Thod said, indicating his arm. "Orichi might want to clean that up."

Orichi nodded. "Yes, get up to your room. I will have things ready in about thirty minutes."

"Not just yet," Francesco said, "I have some dealings with Narlequim."


End file.
